I recently learned that, due to an oversight on my part, Jesse Petersen’s name was misspelled in the credits for SOUND CARVINGS (ONGOING CELEBRATIONS OF INSIGNIFICANCE). (His photo served as the template for the cover.) And while Jesse was not all that upset, I obviously regret the error, hence this public (so to speak, given … Read More

In 2009 I contacted Robin Rife, who, at the time, was booking music for Cafe Maude, about the possibility of a gig. The first surprise was that, unlike, say the booker for the Dakota, she actually responded to my inquiry. (Despite my lack of appetite for chasing after work which has increased exponentially with age, … Read More

“Wiener-U-Bahn-Kunst” is a lavish, glossy, 294 page, 9″ X 12″ German language hardcover book (with an accompanying DVD) chronicling the history of Vienna’s subway system, and its interface with commissioned visual arts projects over the last two decades. As the Reform Art Unit (founded in 1965), and its offshoot Reform Art Orchestra have periodically presented … Read More

In a lifework marked by and continuing to vacillate among a certain respect, vilification, and essentially being ignored, the story of the Teenage Boatpeople is a curious chapter indeed. Founded by Jeff Johnson in 1979, the group recorded an EP and gigged periodically, primarily at the 7th Street Entry, for a couple years. (Our sole … Read More

The background (original post) follows. But at this point, the day after the 2nd concert, I want to publicly state my gratitude to each and every musician in the group. While I obviously don’t really know how each person really felt about the interface, it was obvious they were making a genuinely concerted effort. The … Read More

The Shoppe makes available gently used (and, upon occasion, new) items both in and out of print by other musicians (& filmmakers).

This was an intense, exhausting and exhilarating experience. 10 + hours of travel, a 12 hour day consisting of a recording session and concert, a day spent hanging out with Fritz Novotny (including a long walk in the Vienna woods, and a delightful home-cooked meal at his new girlfriend Eleonore’s home), and then 10 + … Read More